Cary, N.C. — SAS is marking a big milestone this month, marking 40 years since the analytics company began.

The company started analyzing data for agricultural research at North Carolina State University in 1976 in a small building on Hillsborough Street. Forty years later, SAS operates its worldwide operations from a sprawling campus in Cary with nearly 5,600 employees.

“Back in the sixties at NC State, we developed a computer program to analyze agricultural data. That turned out to be a strong foundation for analyzing all kinds of data from every industry,” said CEO Jim Goodnight. “Today, our software is used for applications we didn’t foresee.”

SAS’s applications range from research in healthcare and drug development to credit card fraud prevention and cyber security.

Goodnight and co-founder John Sall, the founders of SAS, shared a champagne toast to celebrate the anniversary.